The Afghan Whigs

Singer/guitarist Greg Dulli was studying film at the University of Cincinnati when he met guitarist Rick McCollum and drummer Steve Earle, and with bassist John Curley they formed The Afghan Whigs in Cincinnati in 1986. Initially playing a raw form of garage rock, the group established its own Ultrasuede label to release debut album Big Top Halloween in 1988. Its underground reception and college-radio exposure attracted the attention of Seattle label Sub Pop, which released Up in It in 1990 and Congregation in 1992. The latter helped establish the band's distinctive fusion of alternative rock, punk and soul, an approach they reinforced with the R&B and soul covers EP Uptown Avondale. After signing with Elektra Records, The Afghan Whigs released the critically acclaimed Gentlemen in 1993, accompanied by singles including "Debonair." Black Love followed in 1996, by which time Earle had left and Paul Buchignani had taken over on drums. The band continued exploring its soul influences on 1965 in 1998 before splitting in 2001. Dulli, Curley and other former members briefly regrouped in 2006 to record two new songs for the 2007 retrospective Unbreakable: A Retrospective 1990–2006, but a full live reunion did not take place until 2012, leading to extensive touring and the 2014 comeback album Do to the Beast, on which Dulli and Curley were the only founding members. In Spades followed in 2017, written and produced by Dulli. Guitarist Dave Rosser died from colon cancer during the subsequent tour, and the band recorded "You Want Love" with James Hall in his memory. The Afghan Whigs returned in 2022 with How Do You Burn?, their first album in five years, featuring contributions from Susan Marshall, Van Hunt, Marcy Mays and Dulli's longtime friend Mark Lanegan, who also gave the record its title before his death that year. The band toured extensively in support of the album before resurfacing in 2025 with covers of Poliça's "Fake Like" and Still Corners' "Downtown." In 2026, The Afghan Whigs marked their 40th anniversary with a North American tour and announced their tenth studio album, Soft Control. Recorded across sessions in Joshua Tree, New Orleans, East Hollywood and Cincinnati, the album was preceded by "House of I," "Jungle Roux," "Duvateen," and "My Lover" and was released on August 21.